On Tuesday, February 26th, SEI is hosting an open house for City Bureaus to learn about ways to stay engaged with SEI in 2019. Please join SEI for an opportunity to engage and network. Be sure to RSVP by Friday, February 22nd to reserve your spot. You are welcome to bring up to 5 guests from your organization or networks with you.

This is a free networking opportunity and a chance to learn more about SEI!

Self Enhancement Inc. (SEI) is partnering with Sarah Herring, President and CEO of Fashion IMPACT by HandBagsULike, from Atlanta GA to bring to you “We Are Overcomers”!

This FREE event is intended to build, restore and celebrate women who have been traumatized by life experiences which should have left them incapacitated, paralyzed and hopeless but they were supported and empowered and have risen from the ashes and are now living victoriously.

Please join us for an event to dedicate permanent space in the library to author and SEI alumnus Mitchell S. Jackson!

With Special Guests:

Ted WheelerMayor of Portland

Mitchell S. JacksonSEI Alumni, Author, and Whiting Award Recipient

Entertainment By:

DJ O.G.ONE

Readings By:

Esmé Weijun Wang | Maurice Throne | Natalie Diaz

RSVP Now!

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MITCHELL S. JACKSON

Mitchell S. Jackson’s debut novel The Residue Years received wide critical praise. Jackson is the winner of a Whiting Award. His novel also won The Ernest J. Gaines Prize for Literary Excellence and was a finalist for The Center for Fiction Flaherty-Dunnan First Novel Prize, the PEN / Hemingway Award for Debut Fiction, and the Hurston / Wright Legacy Award. Jackson’s honors include fellowships from the Lannan Foundation, the Ford Foundation, PEN America, TED, NYFA (New York Foundation for the Arts), and The Center for Fiction. His writing has appeared or is forthcoming in The New Yorker, Harpers, The New York Times Book Review, The Paris Review, The Guardian, Tin House, and elsewhere. His nonfiction book Survival Math: Notes on an All-American Family is forthcoming from Scribner. He is a Clinical Associate Professor of writing in Liberal Studies at New York University.

Jackson is also a well-regarded speaker who has delivered lectures and keynote addresses at events including the annual TED Conference, the Ubud (Bali) Writers and Readers Festival, and the Sydney Writers’ Festival, as well as institutions including Yale University, Brown University, Cornell University, and Columbia University. A formerly incarcerated person, Jackson is also a social and criminal justice advocate who, as part of his efforts, visits prisons and youth facilities in the United States and abroad.

MAYOR TED WHEELER

Ted was motivated to enter politics while volunteering as an overnight host at the Goose Hollow Shelter and he saw firsthand that we could do much more to help the most vulnerable among us. He has a reputation as a leader who brings people together to get things done.

As the Chair of Multnomah County from 2007-2010, he balanced a county budget during the worst years of the recession, reducing the debt while maintaining safety net programs for the elderly, drug and alcohol treatment programs and forging partnerships to fund a Mental Health Crisis Center. He jump-started long-stalled infrastructure projects, including the Sellwood Bridge and East County Courthouse.

Under Ted's stewardship as state Treasurer, Oregon's investment portfolio outperformed every one of its peers in the nation and earned an upgraded credit rating. He re-launched the Oregon college savings plan, and passed legislation that created the Oregon Retirement Savings Plan, which is now a national model for state-sponsored retirement security.

Ted has assumed a leadership role in economic development. He convened business leaders and spearheaded a new statewide blueprint, dubbed the Oregon Investment Act, and it was approved by the Legislature in 2012. The Oregon Investment Act helps the State invest more effectively in the growth of small businesses.

A sixth-generation Oregonian, Ted was born in Portland, and graduated from Lincoln High School. Ted earned his undergraduate degree in Economics from Stanford University, an MBA from Columbia University and a Masters in Public Policy from the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University.

Ted is a longtime community volunteer leader, and has devoted energy to diverse organizations including Neighborhood House, Portland Mountain Rescue and the Oregon Sports Authority. He is an Eagle Scout. He lives in Southwest Portland with his wife and daughter.

NATALIE DIAZ

Natalie Diaz was born and raised in the Fort Mojave Indian Village in Needles, California, on the banks of the Colorado River. She is Mojave and an enrolled member of the Gila River Indian Tribe. Her first poetry collection, When My Brother Was an Aztec, was published by Copper Canyon Press. She is a 2018 MacArthur Fellow, as well as a Lannan Literary Fellow and a Native Arts Council Foundation Artist Fellow. She was awarded the Holmes National Poetry Prize, a Hodder Fellowship, and a PEN/Civitella Ranieri Foundation Residency, as well as being awarded a US Artists Ford Fellowship. Diaz is the Maxine and Jonathan Marshall Chair in Modern and Contemporary Poetry at Arizona State University.

ESMÉ WEIJUN WANG

Esmé Weijun Wang is a novelist and essayist. Her debut novel, The Border of Paradise, was called a Best Book of 2016 by NPR and one of the 25 Best Novels of 2016 by Electric Literature. She was named by Granta as one of the “Best of Young American Novelists” in 2017, won the Whiting Award in 2018, and is the recipient of the Graywolf Nonfiction Prize for her forthcoming essay collection, The Collected Schizophrenias. Born in the Midwest to Taiwanese parents, she lives in San Francisco, and can be found at esmewang.com and on Twitter @esmewang.

MAURICE CARLOS RUFFIN

Maurice Carlos Ruffin has been a recipient of an Iowa Review Award in fiction. A native of New Orleans, Ruffin is a graduate of the University of New Orleans Creative Writing Workshop and a member of the Peauxdunque Writers Alliance. His first novel was published in 2019 by One World Random House.

This year, our annual gala, Soul of the City, will be held on Saturday, September 14, 2019. The night will include a cocktail hour hosted by a surprise celebrity guest, silent and live auction, student experience tour, special dinner, live entertainment, and an after-party. During the event, guests will have an opportunity to learn about the incredible impact Self Enhancement, Inc. (SEI) has made on thousands of youth and families within the community with the support of many individuals.

Please continue to check back for more details.

For sponsorship inquiries, contact us below.

Sponsorship Interest

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Thank you for your interest in sponsorship for this event. We will be reaching out to you soon with all the details.

Due to expected snow, ice and freezing temperatures through the upcoming weekend, SEI’s Community Day of Service, originally set for Saturday, February 9th, is postponed until Spring 2019. Exact dates and up to date information will be posted HERE as they become available.

SEI’s primary goal is to ensure that your experience and service to the community meets the highest of safety and production standards.Thank you for your flexibility. We are fortunate that we can postpone this event and give you the best Community Day of Service you wish for. Moving it to the Spring, will also give us the opportunity to serve more sites and expand our services.

We especially want to thank our sponsors and partners for their support!

﻿Identified as one of the largest African-American service projects in the city of Portland, “Follow my Lead: Day of Service” is an event dedicated to serving the community with a series of service projects at local businesses. SEI believes this is an opportunity to present positive male examples to young African-American male students in the Portland area.

FREE EVENT! TICKETS ARE REQUIRED FOR ENTRY

Kúkátónón has been dedicated to serving Portland’s Black communities for the past 35 years. We were originally founded in the Portland Public School system in response to the need to connect, and offer culturally-specific services for, our African and African American children and their families. We knew back then our educational and political systems did not accurately educate Black community members or highlight our contributions and cultures. Unfortunately, this remains much the same today.

The event’s guest speaker, Dr. Jason Okonofua, is an Assistant Professor at the University of California, Berkeley. He will be presenting his research, which focuses on the social-psychological processes that contribute to inequity, including teacher-student relationships that result in racial disparities in disciplinary action. Through this, he is developing innovative interventions that mitigate the problematic “school-to-prison” pipeline experienced by many African and African American students.

An esteemed researcher in the psychology field, Dr. Okonofua recently won the Cialdini Award, and is also currently working through research grants from Google, Character Lab, and SPARQ. He has been featured on MSNBC and in The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal, among other media outlets.

This event honors our organization’s history and culture and comes at a time when Kúkátónón is expanding its focuses on educational enrichment programs and ramping up initiatives that spur systemic change in the community. The research led by Dr. Jason Okonofua addresses issues within our educational and justice system that pose barriers for, and support the discrimination of, our children.

To find out more about Dr. Jason Okonofua, pleas evisit his website at www.jokonofua.com

PLEASE REGISTER ABOVE. TICKETS ARE REQUIRED FOR ENTRY

Self Enhancement, Inc. presents our second annual Junction Ave - A Black Owned Business Pop-up. Join us as we kick off Black History Month with a special Black Owned Business market here at The Center for Self Enhancement.

On Tuesday, January 29th, SEI is hosting an open house for partners and community members to learn about ways to stay engaged with SEI in 2019. Please join SEI for an opportunity to engage and network. Be sure to RSVP by Wednesday, January 16th to reserve your spot. You are welcome to bring up to 5 guests from your organization or networks with you.

This is a free networking opportunity and a chance to learn more about SEI!

Light food and refreshments will be provided.

RSVP NOW

Corporate Engagement Event

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Thank you for RSVPing! We look forward to seeing you Tuesday, January 29th at 2:00pm.

We are excited to announce the 2019 Sneak Peek Charity Preview Party presented by Audi of Beaverton will be happening this year on Wednesday, January 23rd!

Tickets are $100 and with a ticket purchase, you automatically get entered into a raffle to win the new 2018 Audi A3 Sportback e-tron® in Nano Gray Metallic. The etron Singleframe® grille with integrated charging port and an exterior appearance with unique front/rear fascia adds just the right amount of style..

By doing your online shopping for gifts and holiday essentials on Amazon Smile, you can get on top of your holiday to-dos while supporting youth and families through SEI all at once!

AmazonSmile is a website operated by Amazon with the same products, prices, and shopping features as Amazon. The difference is that when you shop on AmazonSmile, the AmazonSmile Foundation will donate 0.5% of the purchase price of eligible products to the charitable organization of your choice.

Kick off #GivingTuesday with us at Thanks+Giving!

The holiday season is fast approaching and we invite you to kick it off with us on Giving Tuesday! Did you know the Tuesday following Thanksgiving is recognized as a global day of giving back?

This Giving Tuesday, join us at Thanks + Giving. Thanks + Giving is a benefit hosted by Pavelcomm to support Self Enhancement, Inc. Enjoy an evening of hor d’oeuvres, wine and entertainment. Be inspired by SEI student miracle stories, achievement and legacy!

Please help spread the joy by bringing a donation or gift card of any amount to support SEI youth and families. Those who give $150 or more will be entered in a drawing for the chance to win an Aaron Rodgers signed jersey!

Help bring holiday joy to SEI's youth and families by bringing an unwrapped new toy or item to the SEI Center between November 25h thru December 21st. The youth who receive these gifts will truly be encouraged this holiday season!

Self Enhancement, Inc. (SEI) has successfully served families in the City of Portland during the holidays for nearly 38 years. One of the many ways we serve our families is by providing dinner baskets for families in need. With the help of partners, SEI’s goal is to serve food to 400 families for Thanksgiving this year. Please join us in this effort, by giving towards our Thanksgiving baskets and help to make miracles for families during this holiday season.

Each food basket is approximately $40.00 per family (a total of $16,000). These food baskets will provide SEI families with a chance to enjoy the holiday without worrying about where their next meal will come from. The need is so great and your support will enable SEI to expand our reach to impact more of the community.

If you are able to give any of the items listed above or would like to make a cash donation for the purchase of these items, please contact Development@selfenhancement.org, or call 503-249-1721.

Join SEI on October 6th for the 4th annual Purple Mile Walk to raise awareness on the prevalence and impact of domestic violence in our community. To find out how to get involved, please contact purplemile@selfenhancement.org.

Join DeRay Mckesson – the internationally recognized civil rights leader and host of the podcast Pod Save the People – for a timely conversation on culture, social justice, and politics. Drawing from his own experiences as an organizer, educator, and public official, DeRay will explore the issues of the day and discuss the subtle structures and inherent biases that impact our communities. The conversation will also examine the core themes of DeRay’s upcoming first book, ON THE OTHER SIDE OF FREEDOM: The Case for Hope, a meditation on resistance, justice, and freedom, and an intimate portrait of the Black Lives Matter movement from the front lines. DeRay will be joined by special guests in each market for a live, no-holds-barred conversation about inclusion, community, and progress designed to empower a new generation of leaders. Every ticket includes a copy of ON THE OTHER SIDE OF FREEDOM by DeRay Mckesson (a $25 value).

Please join us for our 5th annual Mississippi Giving Tuesday event on May 22nd to Eat, Drink & Shop at one or several of the participating Mississippi businesses. 10% percent of the proceeds will benefit SEI!

You are also invited to join us at The 1905 located at 830 N. Shaver St. 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. for mission moments and SEI student performances. Invite your friends, family and co-workers. Hope to see you there!